Bvlgari. An extremely rare yellow Gold, White Enamel, Ruby and Diamond-Set Serpent Bangle Watch, manufactured by Carlo Illario e Fratelli, Valenza PoModel: "Serpenti"Year: Circa 1970Movement No: 579721, signed by Vacheron & ConstantinCase No: 1062488Calibre No: 1425, manual windingDial: Silvered dial, double signed by Vacheron Constantin and BvlgariCase and bracelet: 18k yellow gold, Swiss and Italian assay marks, the whole bracelet elaborately manufactured in separate articulated pieces to replicate that of a coiled serpent, of iconic design, each section made of gold, cream enamel and set with round cut diamonds, the head of the snake set with diamonds and two pear shaped ruby set eyes, the top part of the head hinged and opening to reveal the dialDimensions of Head: 18mm wide Accompaniments: Letter of Authenticity by Amanda Triossi注脚寶格麗，「Serpenti」，由意大利Carlo Illario e Fratelli, Valenza Po製造，非常罕有黃金鑲鑽石、白色琺瑯、紅寶石蛇形手鐲腕錶，年份約1970。附鑑定信，出自於 Amanda Triossi。The Serpenti collection of jewellery and watches is unequivocally an icon of Bvlgari design. The earliest Serpenti collection pieces can be traced back to the 1940s, in the form of tubogas snake bracelets. Some twenty years later, the late Elizabeth Taylor helped propel the Bvlgari snake bracelet into the spotlight when she was photographed wearing one on the set of Cleopatra in 1962. Her bracelet became a celebrated example of the original snake bracelets designed by Bvlgari from 1950 until 1970.According to Marion Fasel in her book 'Bvlgari Serpenti Collection' (Assouline, 2013), early Serpenti bracelets were designed with a white gold spring inside the body, and a flexible outer band allowing the bracelet to cling gently to its wearer's wrist. In the early versions, scales tended to be engraved, and either overlapping as gold bands of pentagonal in structure. The snakes were decorated with various gems set into the eyes, and forked tongues extending just beyond the mouth. Like the present example, the hinged jaws opened to reveal a circular watch with a Swiss movement by Vacheron Constantin. Each piece represented a unique model, displaying varied details and accents.During the mid-1960s, enamelled versions began to emerge. Similarities, however, between these versions and those of the 1940s and 1950s remained, with motifs of gem-set details, forked tongues and round watch faces incorporated into the updated designs. Bvlgari typically partnered with Jaeger-LeCoultre and Vacheron Constantin on the movements for the watch mechanisms. The present lot bears these characteristics, suggesting that its manufacture took place in the early 1970s. Further to this, during the 1970s, a famous series of Bvlgari advertisements were produced featuring enamelled snake bracelet-watches wrapped around a large B. An example of one of these advertisements appears in Fasel's book and features a black enameled Serpenti watch which is similar in form and detailed design to the present lot.This unique Serpenti timepiece was crafted by Carlo Illario e Fratelli, Valenza Po in the 1970s and retailed by Bvlgari, the Valencian company founded in 1920 who became one of the most highly regarded and coveted fine jewellery manufacturers of the 20th century. Today, Bvlgari is renowned for designing and making haute joaillerie for the Italian aristocracy and celebrities around the world. The dial is unveiled beneath a ruby-eyed serpent head, whilst its highly flexible serpent body in yellow gold and white enamel coils around the wearer's wrist. Unlike modern Serpenti which use a quartz movement, this timepiece houses its original 1425 calibre, a Vacheron Constantin specially designed movement for Bvlgari in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The present unique example, with its ruby-set eyes and diamond accents interspersed with white enamel detailing, exudes sophistication and glamour. According to our research, it is believed that fewer than one hundred pieces of snake jewellery were ever produced by Bvlgari during the 1960s and 1970s, making the present lot a rare example of the early Bvlgari Serpenti collection. Furthermore, the present example was certified by Amanda C. Triossi, an experienced and renowned former curator of the Bvlgari Heritage Collection & Bvlgari Retrospective Exhibitions.Related Literature C.f. Fasel, M., Bvlgari Serpenti Collection, Assouline, 2013